San Diego Downtown & Uptown News NEWS 3 October 2021 Pershing driver faces murder charge for allegedly driving under the influence sdnews.com
A Pacific Beach man faces a second-degree murder charge in the traffic death of architect Laura Shinn. She was riding a bicycle on Pershing Drive in North Park while the driver was allegedly driving under the influence of methamphetamine. A Nov. 24 preliminary hearing has been set for Adam David Milavetz, 38, who is also charged
with gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of drugs in the July 20 incident. Shinn, 57, was the director of facilities planning at San Diego State University and was killed at 7:30 a.m. while on her commute to work. She had a long resume of work in the city and was married to Steve Shinn, who is also an architect, for 34 years. A prosecutor said Milavetz was arrested a month before the incident on a charge of suspicion of driving under the influence of meth. If Milavetz is ordered to stand trial for murder, a jury will have to decide if he is guilty of murder or vehicular manslaughter while under the influence. On his Facebook page, Laura Shinn traveling. (Photo courtesy Steve and Laura Shinn) Milavetz wrote he was a
“420 mobilization tech” for a cannabis dispensary. He also wrote he was a delivery driver for another marijuana dispensary and sometimes worked from his PB home. Milavetz has pleaded not guilty. He remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail. San Diego Police arrested Milavetz at the scene. Shinn was an avid bicyclist and was riding to work as she often did, according to the American Institute of Architects San Diego. She was in a bicycle lane when Milavetz’s 2011 Prius struck her from behind. A celebration of her life was held Sept. 18. Her death was closely followed by 34-year-old Johnathan Sepulveda, who was riding an electric scooter on Pershing Drive when a teenage driver killed him. In response to the two deaths, the city installed plastic bollards
to separate the bikeways on both sides of the road. The bollards are a temporary measure until SANDAG permanently separates cyclists and scooter drivers from cars. The AIA said Shinn was “committed to cycling as an environmentally responsible means of transportation, and she had been training for a fun cycling adventure with family and friends this summer.” Her legacy includes the Laura Shinn Diversity in Architecture Scholarship that is granted to students in high school, community college, graduate and post-graduate students who are pursuing degree programs at accredited schools of architecture. She was board president for the American Institute of Architects San Diego this year. The AIA issued this statement statement on their web page:
Steve Shinn and his deceased wife Laura at the 2019 AIA Fellowship Ceremony. (Photo courtesy Mitra Kanaani)
“The loss that Laura Shinn leaves is immeasurable. She was bright, energetic, ambitious, tenacious, personable, and utterly kind-hearted, through and through... She approached life— and every endeavor—with enthusiasm, passion, and vigor.” —Neal Putnam is a local court reporter. Reach him at nealputnam@gmail.com.
Passenger pleads not guilty to assaulting flight attendant By Neal Putnam
An airplane passenger who is charged with slugging a female flight attendant in May as the plane was about to land in San Diego pleaded not guilty Friday, Sept. 17 to two counts of felony assault in a dispute over wearing a mask. Vyvianna M. Quinonez, 28, of Antelope, Ca., appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Mitchell Dembin, who allowed her to remain free on $20,000 bond. As a condition of bond, Dembin ordered Quinonez “not to board a commercial flight during the pendency of this case,” according to a court document. She will return to court on Sept. 28 and she has waived having a preliminary hearing. The incident took place May 23 on Southwest Airline flight 700 from Sacramento when a flight attendant told Quinonez to put her face mask over her nose, fasten her seat belt and stow her tray table as they were about to land in San Diego. Another passenger videotaped Quinonez that showed her punching the victim twice and pulling her hair, leaving her face bloody. The flight attendant was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital where she received four stitches to her face and two dental crowns for damaged teeth. The video shows a tall male passenger who stood up and got between the two women. “Stand down! Don’t you dare touch her!” said the man to Quinonez. The 44-second video of the incident has been posted online by media websites and other groups. After the plane landed at the San Diego International Airport, Harbor Police officers took Quinonez into custody.
Quinonez struck the flight attendant, who was identified only as S.L., with a closed fist, according to a probable cause statement written by a federal agent. Three of the flight attendant’s teeth were chipped and two had to be replaced by crowns, according
to court records. She had a cut under her left eye requiring four stitches and “a bruise in the shape of fingers on her right forearm,” the statement said. The assault was described as interfering with a flight attendant’s ability to perform her duties.
Southwest Airlines announced they would ban Quinonez permanently from flying on the airline. “We do not condone or tolerate verbal or physical abuse of our flight crews, and we will continue to work with both the FAA and the Union to preserve and protect
the safety and well being of our flight crews and customers,” said a statement by the airline afterwards. —Neal Putnam is a local court reporter. Reach him at nealputnam@gmail.com.
